Ready to dive into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 but worried about your FPS tanking when the action heats up? Don't stress — I've got you covered. In this guide, we'll walk through everything you need to do to make sure your PC is running at peak performance for the best experience possible.

We'll cover:

Essential setup before playing any PC game
Windows settings tweaks
Nvidia and Radeon GPU optimizations
Best in-game settings for FPS
Troubleshooting tips
FAQs
And community resources if you get stuck!

Let’s get you that buttery-smooth gameplay.

Before You Launch the Game: Essential PC Prep

Before you even hit "Play," make sure your system is ready:

Update your GPU drivers (NVIDIA / AMD / Intel Arc)
Update your Windows OS (especially for gaming fixes in Windows 11)
Enable XMP Profile in BIOS (for max RAM performance)
Update chipset drivers (CPU/motherboard-related performance)
Update your motherboard BIOS (stability and new CPU support)
Turn off unnecessary background apps (Discord overlays, Steam overlays, etc.)

Pro Tip:
Use tools like GeForce Experience or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition to easily stay updated.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 System Requirements

Minimum (1080p 30 FPS on Low Settings)

OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
RAM: 8 GB
GPU: GTX 1060 6GB / RX 5600 XT / Intel Arc A380
Storage: 55 GB SSD
DirectX: 12

Recommended (1080p 60 FPS on High Settings)

OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
CPU: Intel i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
RAM: 16 GB
GPU: RTX 3060 Ti 8GB / RX 6800 XT 16GB
Storage: 55 GB SSD
DirectX: 12

Optimize Windows for Gaming

Head into your Windows settings and tweak a few key options:

1. Disable Game Bar

Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar — Turn it OFF.
(Unless you have Ryzen 7900X3D/7950X3D — keep it ON for them.)

2. Turn On Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Settings > System > Display > Graphics Settings — Turn ON.

3. Disable Captures

Settings > Gaming > Captures — Turn OFF everything.

4. Enable Game Mode

Settings > Gaming > Game Mode — Turn ON.
(It’s way better now on Windows 11.)

5. Power Settings

Use Balanced mode instead of "Best Performance" for longer boost clocks and better FPS.

Nvidia Settings for Max FPS

If you're rocking an NVIDIA card, do this:

Disable Nvidia Overlay — cuts down on stutter.
Open Nvidia Control Panel:
- Manage 3D Settings:
  - Low Latency Mode: On
  - Power Management Mode: Normal
  - Shader Cache Size: Set to 10GB (or 100GB if you have space)
- Change Resolution:
  - Use your monitor's native resolution.
  - Set refresh rate manually (144Hz, 240Hz, etc.)
- G-Sync: Enable if your monitor supports it (optional).

AMD Radeon Settings for Max FPS

For Radeon GPUs, make these changes:

Enable FreeSync (if your monitor supports it).
Use Custom Graphics Profile (don’t use auto presets).
FSR 4 (Frame Generation): Enable it if your card supports it.
Frame Rate Target Control:
- Lock FPS slightly below your monitor's max refresh rate (e.g., for 170Hz, lock to 167 FPS).
Radeon Chill: Enable it to maintain good temps and stay within FreeSync range.
Image Sharpening: Use if the game looks blurry without FSR.
Reset Shader Cache (if you experience random stutters).

Best In-Game Settings for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Graphics Settings
- Scaling Type:
  - Use DLSS if you have an RTX GPU.
  - If not, use XeSS with Scaling Mode set to Ultra Quality.
  - You can also try TSR if neither works well for you.
- Scaling Mode: Quality
- Max FPS: Unlimited
- VSync: Disable
- Display Mode: Fullscreen
- Screen Resolution: Native (match your monitor’s resolution)
Post Process Settings
- Motion Blur: Disable
- Film Grain: Disable
- Chromatic Aberration: Disable
- Vignette: Disable
Rendering Settings
- Anti-Aliasing: Low
- Shadows: Medium
- Global Illumination: Medium
- Reflection: Low
- Post Process: Low
- Texture: Epic (if you have enough VRAM, 8GB+ recommended)
- Visual Effects: Low
- Foliage: High (for better-looking environments without too much performance loss)
- Shading: High

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Stuttering or Freezing?

Reset Shader Cache in your GPU driver settings.
Lower Texture Quality (VRAM overload can cause this).

Low FPS Despite Good Specs?

Double-check that the right GPU is selected (especially for laptops).
Update chipset drivers and BIOS.
Disable unnecessary overlays.

Game Crashes at Startup?

Verify game files through Steam/Epic.
Disable any third-party monitoring tools (Afterburner, RivaTuner).

FAQs

Q: Should I use DLSS or FSR in Clair Obscur?
A: Yes, especially on older GPUs. Use Balanced mode for the best mix of visuals and performance.

Q: Is Game Mode really helpful on Windows 11?
A: Absolutely! It now properly focuses your PC's resources on your game.

Q: Why lock FPS slightly under my monitor refresh rate?
A: It keeps you within FreeSync/G-Sync range, preventing microstutter and tearing.

Q: My GPU is at 100% load all the time, should I worry?
A: Not necessarily — but if you want less input lag, slight FPS capping can help.

Join the Community!

If you want extra help, loadout tips, or to share your FPS benchmarks, check out these awesome communities:

Final Thoughts

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is visually stunning, but with the right tweaks, you can make it silky smooth without sacrificing too much beauty. Get your system prepped, tweak those settings, and enjoy the ride.

Got any crazy FPS boost tips I didn’t cover? Drop them in the comments below!

Looking to power up early or dive into a second run? Check out our Best Early Game Weapons & Upgrade Guide for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to get a head start with top-tier gear. And if you’re heading into your second journey, don’t miss our New Game+ guide covering what carries over, what changes, and how to make the most of it.

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Best PC Settings to Max FPS in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33